Robert Rodriguez

After bursting onto the filmmaking scene with his $7,000 action film, "El Mariachi" (1993), director Robert Rodriguez was second only to friend and frequent collaborator Quentin Tarantino in terms of...
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Sofia Vergara in 'Machete Kills': Prepare for New Levels of Accentry

By:
Brian Marder
May 04, 2012

Sofia Vergara has joined the cast of Robert Rodriguez's upcoming sequel Machete Kills — thus helping to form one of the weirdest lineups in years.
Before Vergara signed up, Machete Kills already boasted a cast that included Danny Trejo (star of the 2010 original), Oscar-nominated Mexican actor Demian Bichir, Amber Heard, and, to pretty much everyone's surprise, Mel Gibson. Now the Modern Family Emmy nominee, who would reportedly play a "leather-clad" woman with information of great importance to the title revenge-seeker (Trejo) — and whose trademark accent would be even more played-up for such a role.
Also returning for the 2013 action follow-up are Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez, while Michelle Williams is said to be on director Rodriguez's wish list. Her inclusion would officially put this cast over the top, in a great way.
[Image: DailyCeleb]
More:
Mel Gibson Joins 'Machete Kills': Can Robert Rodriguez Redeem Him?
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[Variety]

You wouldn't know it from his behavior as of late, but according to Mel Gibson his favorite way to blow off steam is by cooking. The latest victim of Gibson's ire — screenwriter Joe Eszterhas — might have a hard time believing that. Their now public spat was taken up a notch earlier this week when the famed Basic Instinct writer posted an audio recording of the actor cursing him out over a work dispute.
During a very frank Friday night appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Gibson explained — in a way only he can — why he blew up at Eszterhas at his house when he was recorded unknowingly. "It's kind of like you build a house, you hire a guy to put a roof on it, he comes over, and eats lunch and talks about the roof — and then you get rained on all night. Wouldn't you get kind of peeved?"
Gibson — who joked with Leno about having "a little bit of a temper" — said that despite his frustration with the script Estzerhas turned in, he did apologize for swearing at him. In return the screenwriter "put the note of apology out on the internet. I guess it wasn't good enough. Sorry."
More:
Mel Gibson Joins 'Machete Kills': Can Robert Rodriguez Redeem Him?
Eszterhas Takes Gibson Feud to TV
'Braveheart': The TV Show

Always-busy director Robert Rodriguez has finally discussed an ambitious adaptation he'll tackle down the road — that is, after he completes a pair of highly anticipated sequels.
Rodriguez will first have to finish work on Machete Kills and the loooong-rumored, recently begun Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, but after that, it looks like he'll be remaking Frank Frazetta's highly influential 1983 animated film Fire and Ice.
The plans were officially announced at last year's Comic-Con (“The whole idea is to make it using the technology I used for Sin City, because I want it to be as if you stepped into one of [Frazetta's] paintings,” Rodriguez told The Playlist around that time), but the director has for the first time offered an update on a project that probably seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream for many, telling The Hollywood Reporter: "That’s in the works to go right into after Sin City, Frank Frazetta's Fire and Ice. We’re almost done with the script; we’ve got it pretty much 70 percent there. I’m really excited about that one."
So there we have it; the movie is likely to see the light of day! We'll have to wait some time, but the aforementioned follow-ups to Machete and Sin City, both due out in 2013, should tide us over.
More:
Mel Gibson Joins 'Machete Kills'; Can Robert Rodriguez Redeem Him?
Production Begins on 'Sin City' Sequel 'A Dame to Kill For'
[THR]

Since his DUI run in with police in 2006, an encounter that led to an infamous anti-Semitic tirade, Mel Gibson has been scrambling to climb back into the mass audience's good favor. Unfortunately, that didn't mean putting a cap on his unhinged behavior. In the last six years, Gibson has made headlines for various offenses, most recently being his public, profanity-laden feud with screenwriter Joe Eszterhas. The behavior has all but stalled his acting and directing career — his 2010 thriller Edge of Darkness was lukewarm at the box office, the dark comedy The Beaver came and went and his upcoming action movie Get the Gringo won't even be hitting theaters. Is there any hope for Mel Gibson?
Robert Rodriguez thinks so. Gibson is reportedly in talks to join the Sin City director's follow-up to Machete, the spin-off feature based a mock trailer from Grindhouse. Danny Trejo will return as the titular hero in Machete Kills, which Rodriguez will shoot before tackling another highly-anticipated sequel: Sin City 2. Rumors had been swirling that Rodriguez was courting Gibson for the sequel, which sees Machete going up against an arms leader harboring a deadly space weapon (yes, the franchise is ready and able to go even more ridiculous). Now, Gibson's only a few signatures away from being on board.
Rodriguez proved he could utilize legendary actors or celebrities with career package for comedic effect (see Robert De Niro and Lindsay Lohan in the original Machete) and Gibson covers both bases. For someone in Gibson's position, the hope is that playing over-the-top and silly can wash away some of the darker moments of the past. Stunt casting 101 from the Quentin Tarantino school of moviemaking.
Audiences have found difficulty investing in Gibson's recent characters, but his role in Machete Kills might be the workaround. The movie strives for camp, and there's nothing campier than crazy ol' Mel. If audiences flock to see the movie (which, arguably, won't need a tremendous box office gross to be a success), Gibson could start creeping back into marketable territory. Or be destined for a future of low-budget action movies. Is Stallone hiring for Expendables 3 yet?
Find Matt Patches directly on Twitter @misterpatches and remember to follow @Hollywood_com!
[THR]
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Mickey Rourke and Rosario Dawson are to reprise their Sin City characters for a prequel to the Robert Rodriguez/Frank Miller-directed movie. Rourke's tough guy character Marv was killed off in the first film, while Rosario played kinky hooker Gail. The all-star movie also featured Clive Owen, Jessica Alba and the late Brittany Murphy.

It can't be disputed that television was Dick Clark's home turf — he will always be one of the most iconic faces of the small screen. But the American Bandstand host did take a few stabs at a feature film career, both in his earlier and later years. He might not exactly be remembered as a movie star, but you couldn't do the man's memory justice without keeping a few of his noteworthy cinematic appearances in mind.
Jamboree!
The first time Clark appeared on the big screen, it was for a cameo role in the musical film Jamboree!. The celebration of rock and roll featured Clark playing himself, a television host of a fictional program in the reality of the film. Various colleagues of Clark's appeared alongside him in Jamboree!, most notably Frankie Avalon.
Because They're Young
1960's Because They're Young marked Clark's first role playing a fictional character. In the film, Clark plays idealistic high school teacher Neil Hendry, who strives to help his young, impressionable students through their various hardships. Appropriate, since Clark has been something of a role model for teenagers nationwide throughout his career.
The Young Doctors
A year after Because They're Young, Clark teamed with stars Ben Gazzara and Fredric March for The Young Doctors, a drama about several ambitious men in the very competitive medical field. Interestingly, The Young Doctors also featured narration by a 50 year-old Ronald Reagan.
Killers Three
Clark's most memorable contribution to the world of cinema has got to be Killers Three. Not only did he star in the film — in a challenging role that took him far from the comical nice guy America knows him as today — but he also wrote the story behind the film and acted as producer. Clark played a meek Southerner who gets wrapped up in a bootlegging scheme and reveals his hidden psychotic homicidal tendencies. That's not exactly the image of Clark courtesy of his Rockin' Eve gig.
The Phynx
After the memorable Killers Three, Clark went back to cameo work in music-centric comedies. In 1970, Clark played himself in The Phynx, about a rock band assembled by a computer.
The Suburbans
It wasn't until 1999 that Clark appeared on the big screen again, in The Suburbans, where he also played himself in a story about a superstar music group. More than anything else, Clark's expanded role in this Jennifer Love Hewitt and Will Ferrell starrer proved that even into the new millennium, Clark was just as relevant as ever.
Spy Kids
For the first time in over 30 years, Clark took on an original character in Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids. Although his role is not large, it's hard to forget the man who funded an army of thumb robot soldiers.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Finally, and perhaps most epically, Clark made an appearance in George Clooney's directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. The story is something between a biography and a piece of historical fiction, depicting The Gong Show host Chuck Barris as a secret agent for the CIA. As a colleague of Barris', Clark delivered talking head segments about the mysterious figure in question.
More:
Dick Clark, TV Icon, Dies at 82
Dick Clark's Best TV Moments
Why There Will Never Be Another Dick Clark

The two actresses are close to signing on for Robert Rodriguez's action film, which will star Danny Trejo as the strong and silent titular character, according to website BloodyDisgusting.com.
Alba played an immigration agent who falls for Machete while Rodriguez portrayed rebel leader Luz.
The new movie, titled Machete Kills, will start shooting later this spring (12).

After seven long years, work has finally begun on the sequel to the neo-noir hit Sin City. Filmmakers Robert Rodriquez and Frank Miller announced today that casting will start next week and the film is expected to start shooting this summer.
“The first question I am always asked is 'When will you make another Sin City?'” says Rodriquez. “I have wanted to re-team with Frank Miller and return to the world he created since the day we wrapped the original, but have felt a duty to the fans to wait until we had something truly exceptional that would meet and exceed what have become epic expectations. A Dame To Kill For will certainly be worth the wait.”
Previously, Rodriquez has stated that Sin City: A Dame To Kill For will focus on the graphic novel of the same name, as well as two new stories from Miller. Much of the original cast is expected to return, particularly Clive Owen, whose character Dwight is featured heavily in A Dame to Kill For.
Frank Miller, who will serve as screenwriter and co-drector on the film, says, “The first Sin City knocked out audiences who had never seen anything like it before, Robert Rodriguez and I are going to shake things up and deliver a ferocious film experience that is going to go even further than the first.“
[Deadline]
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Theatrics slapstick and cheer are cinematic qualities you rarely find outside the realm of animation. Disney perfected it with their pantheon of cartoon classics mixing music humor spectacle and light-hearted drama that swept up children while still capturing the imaginations and hearts of their parents. But these days even reinterpretations of fairy tales get the gritty make-over leaving little room for silliness and unfiltered glee. Emerging through that dark cloud is Mirror Mirror a film that achieves every bit of imagination crafted by its two-dimensional predecessors and then some. Under the eye of master visualist Tarsem Singh (The Fall Immortals) Mirror Mirror's heightened realism imbues it with the power to pull off anything — and the movie never skimps on the anything.
Like its animated counterparts Mirror Mirror stays faithful to its source material but twists it just enough to feel unique. When Snow White (Lily Collins) was a little girl her father the King ventured into a nearby dark forest to do battle with an evil creature and was never seen or heard from again. The kingdom was inherited by The Queen (Julia Roberts) Snow's evil stepmother and the fair-skinned beauty lived locked up in the castle until her 18th birthday. Grown up and tired of her wicked parental substitute White sneaks out of the castle to the village for the first time. There she witnesses the economic horrors The Queen has imposed upon the people of her land all to fuel her expensive beautification. Along the way Snow also meets Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) who is suffering from his own money troubles — mainly being robbed by a band of stilt-wearing dwarves. When the Queen catches wind of the secret excursion she casts Snow out of the castle to be murdered by her assistant Brighton (Nathan Lane).
Fairy tales take flack for rejecting the idea of women being capable but even with its flighty presentation and dedication to the old school Disney method Mirror Mirror empowers its Snow White in a genuine way thanks to Collins' snappy charming performance. After being set free by Brighton Snow crosses paths with the thieving dwarves and quickly takes a role on their pilfering team (which she helps turn in to a Robin Hooding business). Tarsem wisely mines a spectrum of personalities out of the seven dwarves instead of simply playing them for one note comedy. Sure there's plenty of slapstick and pun humor (purposefully and wonderfully corny) but each member of the septet stands out as a warm compassionate companion to Snow even in the fantasy world.
Mirror Mirror is richly designed and executed in true Tarsem-fashion with breathtaking costumes (everything from ball gowns to the dwarf expando-stilts to ridiculous pirate ship hats with working canons) whimsical sets and a pitch-perfect score by Disney-mainstay Alan Menken. The world is a storybook and even its monsters look like illustrations rather than photo-real creations. But what makes it all click is the actors. Collins holds her own against the legendary Julia Roberts who relishes in the fun she's having playing someone despicable. She delivers every word with playful bite and her rapport with Lane is off-the-wall fun. Armie Hammer riffs on his own Prince Charming physique as Alcott. The only real misgiving of the film is the undercooked relationship between him and Snow. We know they'll get together but the journey's half the fun and Mirror Mirror serves that portion undercooked.
Children will swoon for Mirror Mirror but there's plenty here for adults — dialogue peppered with sharp wisecracks and a visual style ripped from an elegant tapestry. The movie wears its heart on its sleeve and rarely do we get a picture where both the heart and the sleeve feel truly magical.
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Hartnett reveals he was busted on suspicion of grand theft auto during a drive in Texas, so Rodriguez and his then-wife Elizabeth Avellan went to help him.
The actor tells Bullett magazine, "The cops who pulled me over typed in the vehicle identification number wrong, so they arrested me for stealing a car. Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellan came down to bail me out of the Austin county jail in the middle of the night, so that I could work the next morning."
The actor failed to show up to court to fight the "ridiculous" charge and now has a criminal record.
He adds, "They put a strike on my record (and) if I get arrested twice more, or get convicted of anything twice more in Texas, I'm getting the electric chair, or whatever they do now - lethal injection."

Directed the vampire-themed, "From Dusk Till Dawn"; written by and starring Quentin Tarantino

Directed first feature, the Spanish language, "El Mariachi"; and wrote and edited the film

Summary

After bursting onto the filmmaking scene with his $7,000 action film, "El Mariachi" (1993), director Robert Rodriguez was second only to friend and frequent collaborator Quentin Tarantino in terms of originality and the ability to make the films he wanted. A jack of all trades, Rodriguez frequently directed, photographed, produced, wrote, scored and edited all his films regardless of budget, mostly to the benefit of the film, but sometimes to the detriment of an otherwise collaborative art. Rodriguez followed up "El Mariachi" with "Desperado" (1995) and later rounded out his so-called Mexican Trilogy with "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" (2003). In between, he made the horror-crime thriller "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996) and the sci-fi thriller "The Faculty" (1998), before scoring an international box office hit with "Spy Kids" (2001), which sparked a franchise of sequels over the next decade. Meanwhile, Rodriguez co-directed the well-received "Sin City" (2005) with comic book impresario Frank Miller and directed the "Planet Terror" segment of the exploitation double feature, "Grindhouse" (2007), which also contained Tarantino's "Death Proof" feature. Though he was the center of negative tabloid attention in the wake of his split with wife and producing partner of 16 years, Elizabeth Avellán following a dalliance with "Grindhouse" star Rose McGowan, Rodriguez continued to employ his unique brand of economic filmmaking to every project.

Were college sweethearts; Married in 1990; Co-produced several of her husband's films, including "Grindhouse" (2007), "Sin City" (2005), and "Desperado" (1995); Announced in April 2006 that they were separating after 16 years of marriage; Divorced in 2006

Met when she starred in his film, "Grindhouse" (2007); Rumored to have started an affair on the set, which caused the breakup of his 16 year marriage; Announced engagement in October 2007; Split in October 2009